Spain defends liberal policies against Vatican criticism (2nd Lead)

Feb 4, 2009, 13:37 GMT

Madrid - Spain's Socialist government on Wednesday defended its liberal social and educational policies against Vatican criticism, reminding Pope Benedict XVI's secretary of state that the Catholic Church was only one participant in a democratic debate.

A meeting between Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone and Deputy Prime Minister Maria Teresa Fernandez de la Vega nevertheless took place in a 'very cordial' atmosphere marked by 'respect, cooperation and autonomy,' according to government sources.

Bertone's private visit was seen as an unofficial state visit, and aroused considerable interest in the country seen by the Vatican as one of the main advocates of liberal secularism in Europe.

Bertone arrived in Spain on Tuesday, officially to give a lecture at the invitation of the Bishops' Conference.

Government plans to reform the current law on religious freedom towards a greater separation between church and state were aimed at adapting legislation to the increasing plurality of Spanish society, Vega told Bertone.

She added that the government had no intention of interfering with the financial privileges enjoyed by the Catholic Church, which gets billions of euros directly or indirectly from state coffers annually.

Vega also defended the government's plans for a more liberal abortion law and the introduction in schools of citizens' education classes, which Catholic activists oppose as representing secular or socialist values.

Bertone also met Foreign Minister Miguel Angel Moratinos and King Juan Carlos, before having lunch with the two and Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero.

Bertone and Moratinos highlighted the 'many agreements' between Spain and the Vatican on the Gaza conflict, the foreign ministry said.

They also agreed on the need to maintain a 'critical dialogue' with Cuba.

Bertone's visit was described by the Spanish press as the first 'political' one to Spain by a Vatican secretary of state, regarded as the Pope's 'prime minister.' Spain's traditionally staunch Catholicism is now competing against a growing secularization.

The Vatican and the Zapatero government were expected to attempt to improve relations which have suffered due to the government's liberal social reforms.

After Zapatero became prime minister in 2004, Spain granted homosexual couples full marriage rights, and has eased divorce laws - in moves that prompted Spanish clergymen to attend massive rallies in defence of the traditional family.

The Vatican itself, however, is thought to disapprove of the Spanish bishops' combative strategy, and Bertone was expected to adopt a conciliatory tone.

On the eve of Bertone's visit, the ruling Socialists rejected a string of initiatives from far-left parties that would have highlighted friction with the church.

Those initiatives included measures facilitating acts of apostasy by people wanting to renounce the Catholic faith, and revisiting the church's financial privileges.

The government is also in no hurry to legalize euthanasia, a move it has been considering. It postponed the presentation of the draft abortion law until after Bertone's visit.

'We are fed up,' said Joan Tarda of the Catalan republican party ERC, one of the leftist parties that accused the Socialists of giving in to pressure by the church.

The Vatican has long been concerned about what Spanish bishops describe as militant secularism in Spain, and its influence in Europe and Latin America.

Although Spain does not officially favour any religion, smaller faiths such as Protestants and Muslims complain about the privileged position of the Catholic Church.

Nearly 80 per cent of Spaniards are still officially Catholic, but less than 30 per cent of those Catholics attend church outside social events such as baptisms and weddings.